Florida State University recently received a federal grant worth $300,000, funded by the Department of Justice (DOJ) Office on Violence Against Women, to address personal violence on campus in terms of events, programs and other resources.

There are federal laws in place, like Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, that were made to protect people affected by crimes of sexual violence specifically.

FSU’s kNOw MORE initiative was created to address power based personal violence, which is described as “sexual violence/misconduct, interpersonal violence, domestic/relationship violence, stalking and sexual harassment.” It is rooted in the assertion of power, control and/or intimidation with the intent to harm another and can be committed by friends, partners, acquaintances or strangers.

Programs are already available on campus to help victims of personal violence like Victim’s Advocate Program, which provides services like crisis intervention and referrals. Other resources under the The kNOw MORE sexual violence prevention initiative, like Green Dot bystander trainings, work to raise awareness of the existence of personal based violence and inform students on what to do if they are confronted with a dangerous or threatening situation.

The grant proposal was cultivated by University Health Services under Magnuson’s leadership with the goal of sending a message of intolerance and offering more resources to those affected by power based personal violence.

They want to do this by creating programs for mandatory prevention and education about sexual assault, dating violence and stalking as well as strengthen the Coordinated Community Response Team, which operates with an advisory panel, along with prevention and response teams.

All of this is a part of a larger project named, “Collective Empowerment: A Trauma Informed Approach to Caring for Tallahassee College Students,” which involves representatives from FSU’s CARE Program, Student Veterans Center, Center for Global Engagement, Student Disabilities Resource Center and the Pride Student Union.

There isn’t just a focus on students, but also a focus on preparing campus law enforcement and campus disciplinary boards to respond effectively to situations involving sexual misconduct.

The grant will aim to reach more than 20 campus partners and external entities, as well as foster relationships and conversations with other Tallahassee communities outside FSU, like Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University and Tallahassee Community College.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to collaborate with several campus departments to expand and enhance our current coordinated response at FSU in addressing prevention and intervention of interpersonal violence,” Magnuson said.